Early 19th Century Japanese Shijo School Artist's book (Echô) - ?Meikei - ?1814

Beautiful 19th Century Japanese Artist's Book - or Echô - from the Shijo school in Kyoto.

This wonderful, and uncommon, original artist's book demonstrates the inner working of a Japanese Ukiyo-e artist. The pages are full of drawings and designs of dragons, Bijin (beautiful women), and animals. It also contains designs for Tsuba (belt buckles) and other objects, with intricate images of mount Fuji and Japanese scenes.

The book is bound with original brown cardboard covers with 120 leaves of washi paper, comprising 240 double pages of drawings which have been drawn directly or pasted in.

On the back cover is a colophon with two signatures - probably of collectors: "Goto Hanzaemon" & "Fujiwara Mitsuyasu"

The book is 19th Century although precisely dating the book is difficult. On page 39 there is an inscription "Bunka Mizunoto-Tori Nigatsu Gejyun saku" - "Made in February 1814 - Year of the Rooster" - possibly dating the album to this period

Size - 31.5 x 21cm.

Good internal condition but as this was a well used and loved book, there is wear to the covers and some minor loosening of the binding

Overall a highly detailed and uncommon work which would benefit from detailed study

Provenance: Beres Gallery - Paris - Stamp to cover